Against the Stars

Chapter 9

It took sometime before Ginny could comprehend what happened. As she tore through the streets, her mind began to understand. She had slapped Bella Kersey, actually slapped her.

For a moment, a sense of pride filled Ginny, but seconds later, it was replaced by guilt. She knew that if her mother ever found out, well Ginny didn’t know if she could live through that.

At first, Ginny was going to run into her room, but she decided against that. She would only be caught and that would not go well. Instead, she tore out to the yard behind her house

In that yard was a tall cherry tree. it leaves had fallen and there wouldn’t be any cherries for a while, but it would be the perfect hiding space for someone Ginny’s size.

Ginny grabbed the lowest branch of the tree and began to pull herself up. About half way up thee tree was a nook that Ginny could easily fit it. She sighed as she leaned back into the tree, the bark digging into her back. She didn’t care, for a moment she was safe.

Ginny knew better than to hide from reality, because in the end, reality always found her. But she did so anyways. Hiding from reality, at least for aa time, was better than having to face it head on.

As she leaned back, Ginny thought about what had happened. Why had she slapped Bella? Then it came flooding back to her, like a wave crashing against a beach. Bella had been insulting Celia.

Celia, the girl Ginny met the day before, caused her to slap Bella. It didn’t make any sense. She had no idea why she had suddenly snapped. Something had pushed her past her breaking point and Ginny wasn’t sure she even know what it was.

And what had she done after she slapped her? She ran away like a coward. A coward! That’s all Ginny was. So where was Bella now? Was she charging after her? Running home to her mama? That idea made Ginny smile, but only for a few seconds.

Ginny heard footsteps approach the tree. She leaned back farther into the branches, trying to become invisible. She could not be found.

“Don’t try to hide, I know your there,” came a voice from below. Ginny didn’t know whose.

Carefully, Ginny leaned out of the tree. The voice belonged to a woman who seemed to be in her mid twenties. she was tall, and seemed to be taller than Thomas. Her face looked tired and worn, but yet, there was still a smile on it. Her cinnamon skin glistened in the light, as did her black velvet hair. Her eyes glowed, sending a dark gray light.

“Come on child, I won’t hurt ya,” the woman said, beckoning for Ginny to come down. Ginny felt her face go red. There was almost nothing she hated more than being called a child.

Slowly, as not to hurt herself, Ginny jumped out of the tree. She landed, after wobbling for a minute, in front of the woman. The woman seemed taken aback for a moment, but regained composer quickly and remarked, “Not so much of a child are you?”

“No ma’am I’m not.”

“Who are you? I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

“I’m Ginny Miller.”

“So you’re one of the Miller children. How old are you?” the way the woman said Miller reminded Ginny of the way people said smallpox.

“I’m fourteen. Now, please excuse me, but who are you?”

“Ah! I should have done that first. My name’s Violet.”

Violet, Ginny had heard that name before, but she couldn’t place it. Then it hit her, hard like running into a brick.

“You’re Violet?”

Violet laughed. “I like to think I am. Now here’s a question for you; why were in that tree?”